Healthy Life between BEARS, DEER, SQUIRRELS and others

Because of the amount of animals appearing I decided to have a counter which will be updated with the posts!!

SQUIRREL!

Bears: 1 black bear!!!!!

Deer: 3 = 1 on the road on Tuesday  + 2 on the drive to Vancouver on Thursday

Squirrels: a lot of them, but cuter than the ones in Montreal

Chipmunks: never enough....they are so cute!!!

#Hikes> 2

#Hotsprings> 1

bad life eh?

So welcome to the healthy life!!!!  That's what the welcome sign should say when entering to Nelson!

Here the people grow it's own food, go to hike with the dogs (which are well trained and don't need leash), recycle dividing in more than 5 bins, cure their pain with acupuncture and swim in the lake at 10 degrees!

Huckleberry pie tradition...you MUST
lick your plate clean, or else...

So Mr. Andre, came to pick us up at Castlegar and drove us Home!!!Home means a HOUSE ( in capital letters cause the house is BIG) located on Kootnay Lake ( I say ON because the house has its own beach and private part of the lake. In which of course they have 2 sail boats waiting to be used!)

We had a lovely dinner with "The best Vermouth I've ever had" ( aka Vermouth Yzaguirre), the best Roast beef and the best Huckleberry pie made by Nadine!! Literally the best ones!!! All accompanied by some Valdepenas from Spain. Juicy dinner with Dude, Andre, Nadine and David.

On sunday we woke up early and hiked up to Pulpit Rock from where we had an awesome view of whole Nelson and nearby. The sign says no Trespassing, it's just a beaten path and the ascent is heinously steep. (300m of elevation in 1.6km trail). We had Emma, a mix of lab and 27+ other dogs types, who takes care of the whole family. This lovely dog would answer to all my requests...the best one to talk to!!!she would listen without talking back!! (View of Pulpit Rock hike in pictures below - Chipmunk left, view of Nelson right)

As everyday, we had awesome real organic food from their ( our since I helped to take potatoes!!) garden. Some corn, tomatoes, greek salad, lemon cucumbers ( a rare sweet cucumbers specialty of Mr. Piver), ...

It’s Monday morning in healthy city!!!we drive along the Kootnay Lake up to Kaslo to go up to Idaho Peak Lookout to hike with Emma. Best views ever of Arrow Lakes surrounded by the Valhalla, Selkirk, and Purcell mountains!!I even found some small Inukshuks on the top of the Peak, where I built mine. 

Lost in the vastness of it all -
Idaho Peak Lookout

Emma with the dummy

We went down to eat some fish burgers at JBs and Andre took us to Ainsworth Hotsprings, where I experienced the hottest caves and the coldest pool!!!Literally awesome feeling after some physical activity outdoors, got some good food and relaxed in natural hot springs! Too perfect day to be true right???

until we go back to the car…THE TIRE IS FLAT!!!!lucky us we get to practice to change the tires of the 4runner ( car we will take for the road trip)..so we get oil dirty, and David changed it!!

We are ready to the road trip!!by the time we get into the car a Huge Black Bear appears!!( not huge for a bear, but in comparison to me! right?)The bear only wanted to eat the food in the trash bin! AWESOME!!!!I get to see the bear I sooooo wanted to see!!and so ends an awesome day that started really sad.

B.B.B (Big Black Bear) just a normal citizen of the Kootnays

Is Tuesday! We spend the day around Nelson city in all the organic shops and we have best breakfast in Full Circle Café!! (West coast breakfast which consists of a multigrain English muffin with smoked salmon, red onions, capers, poached egg and hollandaise sauce!!!)

Sunset viewed from the Harrop-Procter Ferry

Since the day starts with tasty food, so it ends having dinner in Karen’s house with Dude, Angelique, Andre, Karen, David and me eating fish curry and plum crisp.

Wednesday passed by in relax mood while getting the car, the bikes, the camping stuff and others ready for the road trip! Dude comes and teaches me to dig potatoes!!!after killing some..

Employee of the Month (those arms look good for the farm)

The day finishes with some family dinner while we go through some old pictures. I’m still missing the “Daddy, the goat wants to eat my penis” video.

Seems like the healthy life is way too good!!!but is time to get ready for the Road Trip!

400 $ for FREE!!!!!!!

Sabado 14 de Octubre

Dejamos Ottawa a las 6 de la manana, habiendo dormido 2horas!!!muertos nos hacen pasar los controles y conseguimos llegar a la "gate" de nuestro avion. De ahi volabamos, teoricamente, a Montreal para enlazar con nuestro vuelo a Calgary, en la parte oeste de Canada.
 Entre cabezada y cabezada intentando arrancar media hora de sueno, escucho a la mujer por los altavoces decir: > " el vuelo ##### ( o sea el nuestro) tiene overbooking. Debido a que todos los pasajeros deben enlazar con otros vuelos en Montreal, damos una recompensa de 200 dolares canadienses ( 140 euros) a los dos pasajeros que quieran cambiar su vuelo!. Nos falto tiempo para saltar de la butaca e ir al mostrador. Bueno a David para ir, y a mi para empujarle a ir....pq con el cansancio no llegue a dar 2 pasos que ya estaba sentada de nuevo sobando en la butaca!
No solo nos dan 400 dolares para volar en otros vuelos ( 200 cada uno), sino que nos ponen en un vuelo directo sin escala a Vancouver!!!! vuelo que quisimos comprar cuando sacamos los billetes en agosto, pero que era demasiado caro!!!!PERFECTO!!
Y asi, despues de una espera de 0 minutos, nos meten en el vuelo directo. Por supuesto la comida, la cual es de pago , nos la dieron gratis!!! nada como estar dispuesto a cambios en tu vuelo!!!
Lo unico malo vino una vez llegamos a Vancouver, donde aun enlazabamos con otro vuelo a Castlegar. Para el cual tuvimos que esperar 4 horas debido al cambio de vuelos! Pero el aeropuerto tenia WiFi, asi que internet gratis!!!mientras Luna se tumbo en las butacas a sobar un poco mas...

Boarding the plane to Castlegar....it's going to be a bumpy ride?!?

Lo siguiente que recuerdo es un mini avion de helices de 36 pasajeros y 1 azafata.VAMOS A MORIR!!!! pero no....llegamos sanos y salvos a Castlegar.
Resumen del viaje= 400 dolares para gastar en billetes internacionales o nacionales+extra-comida gratis en el avion+cambio de vuelos a vuelos directos+Wifi gratis durante 4 horas=Buen dia!!!

CA-LEN-DER girl in Ottawa!

Michelle's and Nathalie's gift!! (sorry James, ...uhuhuh!!!)

We made it to Ottawa!!After 2 n a half hours bus ride from Montreal, we took all our luggage to the "3 Chicks and a Dick house". The first night was a traditional test to the new> Nachos dinner with Barrymore's night!! ( For the reader: Barrymore's is Michelle's favourite place to which they go for 90's night. Requirement is to wear the most ridiculous matching awesome outfit from a tickle trunk they have. This tickle trunk is a dream made by collections of the designers all through the last 10 years: Gucci, Prada, Versace, Dolce&Gabana,...

@ Barrymores

I supposedly passed the exam, so I got the chance to sleep on their couch after an awesome night of dance combined with the show of "Saved by the Bell = Salvados por la campana" episodes!!( after a horrible experience with Stroh 80% alcohol. Seriously, DON'T TRY IT!).I lied down on the couch and passed away in less than 5 seconds, not because of drinking but because of exhaustion.

Strong Spiced Rum from Austria

Next thing I know it's the next morning, and I'm sitting with David, Michelle and Nathalie at Father and Sons having a huge breakfast consisting of 2 overeasy eggs, with sausages, home fries , toasts and tea!!!!yummyyyyy!!

Leaves falling and Luna rising

View from behind the Parliament

We spent the day walking around Ottawa, visited the Parliament, ate Schwarma, drank hot chocolate from Tim Hortons, bought beers in the Goverment operated Liquor stores ( here you can't buy alcohol in supermarkets....uhm!!), went shopping with Sarah, visited Carolyn ( a friend from Darmstadt),...

Nathalie, Lindsay and Dan

Dan helping me with Torak ( the snake), Lindsay laughing....

The night started bohemian by the sound of Natalie, Lindsay and Dan singing and "Lecker" chicken dish with home-made mash-potatoes.And finished with Dan choreography of "Soldier boy" and "Single ladies"  . In between, some beers, mouses for "Torak?", Michelles tea/vodka drink, Annies visit, arrival of Creepy James,.....

we went to sleep to Natalies room,...and 2 hours later...Nathalie woke us up for the plane at 6 in the morning ( Thanks Nathalie!!!!!). Sarah and Dan drove us to the airport. Thanks guys!!!!

a la eternidad

construi un Inukshuk a 2400 m de altura en las montanas de la Columbia britanica

juegos de cartas, la radio en la mesita, yoga a las 8h de la manana, la bonoloto, ir a buscar el pan y alguna gominola para el camino, metro de madrid, paseo por el parque Berlin, naipes y mas naipes, desayuno con levadura de cerveza y zumo de naranja, quimica y mas quimica, reunion de extrabajadores de Repsol, historias de Cartagena, navidades en familia, siesta en la cama, siesta en el sofa, futbol y jaleo, cena en familia,anillo de familia, jugar al solitario, imitar al abuelo al hacer el pino con la cabeza contra la pared, fotos de bisabuelos, naipes sobre la mesa, bus por la capital, visita de los nietos, adornos de navidad con la tia Pachi, vasos de agua por todo el piso, paseo por la terraza, partidos de baloncesto con el tio Carlos y papa, batallitas del abuelo Miguel, otro solitario, el periodico, cena en la cocina con la abuela, pelis hasta la 1 de la manana con siestas entre medio, datiles y ciruelas pasas, fotos desordenadas de los bisabuelos y todos los viajes con la abuela, cena con los Jou, veranos en Sitges, mojar pan en el plato, saltar las olas de la mano, Calafell con el tio Jorge, trampas para que el solitario salga, regaliz, paseo por Madrid de la mano de la abuela, patatas fritas, buscar la tortuga de la terraza entre todas las bonitas flores de la abuela, otra cena en familia, mas jaleo, siesta de descanso, historias de aguas de Barcelona, libros de ingenieria del 1916, dichos en aleman, musica clasica, tranquilidad entre el alboroto de la familia, coros, ejercicios para la mente, un tentenpie de queso y pan ahora que la abuela no mira, cantar con la radioa en la mano,"mutis", el escudo de Yzaguirre y del Pozo, mas naipes sobre la mesa, ...y hasta el ultimo momento recuerdos del pasado.

El significado tradicional de la palabra inukshuk puede ser tanto “alguien ha estado aquí”como “vas por buen camino”. En cualquiera de los dos casos, llegados al punto de encontrarnos con uno de estos monumentos en la soledad ártica, lo veremos como un buen augurio.

Los inuits los hacen de diferentes formas y proprósitos: como ayuda para seguir una dirección, para marcas un lugar específico, para indicar rutas migratorias o lugares de pesca. Algunas son, incluso,objeto de veneración por ubicarse en lugares donde los espíritus inuit concentran su poder.

La gran mayoría aparecen en solitario, aislados. Sin embargo, se ha podido definir patrones que los ubican en una especie de gigante cadena de inukshuk dirigiendo a los viajeros o a su energía hacia un determinado lugar más allá del Círculo Polar Ártico.

En el vasto paisaje ártico, los inukshuk se levantan como la expresión más misteriosa y antigua de objetos realizados por el hombre. La tradición prohibe su destrucción y las generaciones renevan su respeto a la ya familiar figura.

Pueden ser pequeños, realizados apenas con una pocas piedras pequeñas, o de grandes dimensiones con rocas que se ubican unas sobre otras en un equilibrio perfecto, sin argamasa. La dirección de los brazos o piernas del inukshuk indican el sentido a seguir para un canal de navegación, o un buen pasaje por un valle helado o uan brecha en las montañas para ir más allá.

Un inukshuk que represente la figura humana se denomina Inunnguaq.

Surviving Canadian Squirrels - tails from Montreal and beyond!

Montreal from Mount Royal

After a lovely familiar experience, we left to the big city!! Fred, David and I spent a nice Wednesday morning walking down Ste. Catherine street in Montreal! Surrounded by mostly crazy people it reminded me the crowded London shopping area. Finally we ended up into Dunn's, where we ate the typical Montreal smoked meat sandwich (apologies to people from Montreal...we were too hungry to make it to the world famous Schwartz). After leaving Fred in the bus station we went to Mount Royal where we spent the evening enjoying the huge park and its squirrels.

 Squirrels which are huge like rats, grey and scary!!!!And they have no education at all....they do not answer to any easy command such as "Sit" in any language..no matter how hard I tried..They chased me all over the park trying to make it to my feet!!!!Oh god, I miss squirrels from Europe which are afraid of humans an don't try to bite you on your toes!!( Michelle, we do have cute red squirrels in Europe). I also got to see a cute Chipmunk!!!

Cute cute cute chipmunk from wikipedia...imposible to take a shot of the real one

Educating a squirrel to sit!

Canadian raccoons drink Tim Hortons instead of water

We finished the day having some beers and white wine at Raf's and Angelica's place while David pretended to be included in the conversation when sleeping with one eye open and the other closed. I slept like a kid on my air mattress!!

David and Angelica in cool Montreal

Thursday morning started with the best Bagels of the Jewish neighborhood in Montreal!Afterwards we had a typical American buffet as in the films of the 80's with Irene and Emil, and took, in a rush as always, a bus to Ottawa.

fresh and yummy Bagels!!!

Facts: Proofs that we are walking around>>>>>>

Halloween is coming!!!

David's engineering reparation on my boots- to much walking..

Abbaye Saint-Benoit-du-lac - la vie monastique

Mardi le 12 Octobre 2010: Visite de l'Abbaye Saint-Benoit-du-lac.

Aujourd'hui, nous sommes sortis en après-midi pour visiter Saint-Benoit-du-lac. Nous avons eu la chance de rencontrer le père Bolduc qui nous a donné une visite VIP de l'Abbaye. Voici des photos:

De l'Abbaye, nous pouvons voir le lac Memphremagog, et les feuilles qui changent de couleur et tombent.

Getting into the FOREST family real life!

So finally we got to Canada!!!After a long trip from Girona (having barely slept the night before), to Frankfurt Hahn, getting to Darmstadt to spend the night squatting in my ex-flatmate`s room, flying from to Frankfurt International to London Heathrow, and taking an awesome flight with the best movies ever such as Karate Kid 2010....we got into Montreal! Francis Forest, the big boss of the Forest clan got to pick us up with the the 2 tall Forest males of the family: François and Fabrice. "So wait a minute, I come visit people from the woods expecting gnomes to find taller guys than the ones in Darmstadt.....they fooled me again!!!!"After picking up Fred, we got into a super nice WOODY house...of course! We had a lovely time between french conversations and `cacahuets` with all the family including Lucie, Helene and J-S.

Forest House

Sun comes through the window to the basement where i sleep in the best matrass ever! It`s morning in the woods!! Prepared the table to have breakfast with everyone...when suddenly...Wood is arriving!!!!"What???"

Helene`s room

so yes, before having breakfast every morning the family brings and piles up wood logs in the garage to whet the appetite! Actually that happens mostly only twice a year just to accunulate some wood for the winter...but pretty much a tradition for my first day.

Chain work

our Masterpiece

Afterwards we climb up, and i mean "climb up", to the top of the Mount Offord having Fabrice as a guide, who would jump easily reaching the peak without effort.

Luna, David, Fabrice and Fred on the peak

Mount Offord Mountain

Came back home and got ready for the most delightful  (canadian) Thanksgiving dinner....with Pavo!!!!

Thanksgiving dinner

Some boardgames (made of wood by Francis) to finish the journey before going sleep

Boardgame

( bad time for the canadians which are afraid of the dark!! true story!!!).

small lights for the dark night all over the house..LITERALLY!